Plymouth audiences invited to experience Heaven on Earth?
A dynamic dance film premiere and performers from across the world are heading for Plymouth as part of a major European cultural initiative. Heaven on Earth? brings together creative practitioners from Greece, Spain, Turkey and Plymouth to explore the dynamics between people and ports. It is inspired by the work of French writer, dramatist, film-maker and activist Jean Genet (1910-1986), and focuses on how his works and legacy remain relevant in the 21st century. The Performing Arts department at Plymouth University is the British partner for the project, funded by the European Union’s Culture Programme, and has made a dance film using locations around the city’s waterfront with Genet’s work as its inspiration. The film, Heaven is a Place, was made by Kayla Parker, Roberta Mock and Ruth Way, with emergent professional performers and members of Plymouth's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans communities. Roberta Mock, the film’s executive producer and Professor of Performance Studies at Plymouth University, says: “Heaven is a Place reflects our main concerns as artists and educators – that is, encountering and experiencing, presence and being present. It has allowed us to collaborate with some remarkable groups and individuals, many of whom had never performed before. It has also enabled us to celebrate the ideas and political commitment and remarkable achievements of Jean Genet, who continues to influence so much contemporary performance practice nearly 30 years after his death. In addition to making the film, the University will also be hosting three performances of Heaven On Earth?
